In 1985, Shari Smith was abducted from her own driveway.
Shari Smith abduction and murder: Shari Smith was abducted from her own driveway in 1985. Soon after, the phone calls began.
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Shari Smith abduction and murder: Shari Smith was abducted from her own driveway in 1985. Soon after, the phone calls began.
Larry Gene Bell was executed for killing two girls in 1985 by wrapping their heads with duct tape. One of the murders was the basis for a TV movie "Nightmare in Columbia County."
Minutes to return the verdict of guilty of kidnapping and first-degree murder. larry gene bell was sentenced to death by electrocution. >> that was the only punishment for him, and probably -- this is horrible to say -- too good of a punishment for him. >> he was tried separately for the kidnapping and murder of debra helmick. that jury returned the same verdict. ten years after his trial, larry gene bell became the last man to die in south carolina's electric chair. >> without that letter and without the ability to bring up things on that page that you couldn't see with the naked eye, it woul...
University of south carolina. >> when questioned, bell denied any involvement in the murders of shari smith and debra helmick. >> the only thng he wanted to say over and over was this larry gene bell didn't do it. it was the bad larry gene bell. >> larry gene bell stood trial for the murder of shari smith in january 1986. >> in my closing argument, i told the jury, shari smith had the fortitude and courage to write out her last will and testament. and i put the pen that we took from the sheppards' house in front of the jury. i said, now each one of you, i want you to have the courage to sign y...
After the funeral of 17-year-old shari smith, her killer continued to taunt the family by phone. but he no longer had any interest in shari. >> have you heard about debra may helmick? >> no. >> the 10-year-old? h-e-l-m-i-c-k? >> richland county? >> yeah. >> uh-huh. >> listen carefully. >> two weeks after shari smith was kidnapped, debra may helmick was abducted in front of her parent's trailer, 24 miles from the smith's home. her father was inside, just 20 feet away. neighbors saw someone pull up in a car, get out and grab debra before speeding off. like shari, debra was a pretty blue-eyed blo...